


Insurance Broker

by miniwhoasked



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anakin Skywalker gets made a master, Episode: S6E10 The Lost Ones, F/M, Fix-It, Ki-Adi Mundi gets what he deserves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:54:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 9,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28115730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miniwhoasked/pseuds/miniwhoasked
Summary: In the canon, Anakin and Obi-Wan are the ones who investigate Master Sifo-Dyas in the events of S6E10. This time, it's Yoda, Commander Thire, and Commander Blackout. They go to Kamino and find more than they bargained for."Cracking their cipher was surprisingly easy, all things considered. Something immediately caught his eye, a folder named CONTINGENCIES. Blackout couldn’t resist clicking, and what he found horrified him. The seppies could control his comrades? By the Force itself, this was going to make his collateral folders look like a squadron of V-19s compared to a Venator."
Relationships: Blackout (Star Wars) & CC-4477 | Thire, CC-2224 | Cody/Bo-Katan Kryze, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Riyo Chuchi/CC-1010 | Fox
Comments: 12
Kudos: 54





	1. Mission Statement

“Travel to Kamino, I must. Further investigate master Sifo-Dyas, I must,” Yoda began, “require the best clone slicer, I do.”   
“From what I’ve heard from Anakin, Commander Blackout is your best bet,” Obi-Wan’s response seemed to satisfy Yoda.   
“Very well, find Commander Blackout, I will,” Yoda finished.

“General!” Blackout snapped to attention and saluted at the site of the small green Jedi.

“At ease, commander. Mission for you, I have,” Yoda spoke to the black-clad officer with 800 years of wisdom, “travel to Kamino, we are to. Answers, the Jedi council seeks, and also your wisdom, I seek.”   
Blackout’s expression visibly softened at the praise from the general. “But sir, I thought you were supposed to be the wise one, you  _ are  _ a number of years older than me.”   
“Indeed I am, but stop seeking wisdom from those who have it, I will never.”   
  
Three people boarded the  _ Nu _ -class shuttle that would take Yoda and his two-clone entourage to Kamino. Yoda had decided to bring Commander Thire and Commander Blackout. He’d said something about Thire needing a break from cushy Coruscant.   
“Getting to Kamino, take a long time, it will. Speak with you, I wish to. The insight of a clone, I require. Come, come.” Yoda beckoned the two commanders over to a more open area inside the main hold of the shuttle.   
  
“This war, guided by a sith, it is,” Yoda mused, silently asking for a response from the two commanders.   
“Sir, what  _ exactly  _ is a sith?” Thire asked, “I know Ventress was one, but I have absolutely no clue what they actually are.”   
“A sith, Ventress was not. Use the dark side of the force, sith do. Driven by emotions like hate, lust, and anger, they are. Driven by attachment, they are. Create hate, love does.”   
“Sir,” Blackout began, “with all do respect, that makes absolutely zero sense.”   
“Why is that, commander?” Yoda inquired.

“The best battalions are the ones with caring commanders, sir. Every shiny wants to serve with the 501st or the 104th,” Blackout answered.   
“Hmm. Not thought of that, I had,” Yoda considered, “not the Jedi way, that is.”   
“If it isn’t the Jedi way, then why doesn’t the Republic use droids?” Thire posed, “droids show no emotion, make no attachments.”   
“Meditate on this, I must. Create an encrypted channel to the temple, can you, Blackout?” Yoda spoke, concern palpable.   
“Yes, general!” Blackout answered, him and Thire snapping to attention, saluting, and turning away from Yoda, intent being to follow Yoda’s orders.

Yoda sat on a bunk in the upper hold in the ship, thoughts whirling in his head. He knew he had to speak with the council. Were they being played with? Thire was right, it made more sense that the CIS would use clones, since the sith thrived on attachment. Was it time for the Jedi to change?   
“Hmph,” he ended, “Sifo-Dyas, created the clones, he did not.”   
  
Yoda’s hologram appeared in the Jedi council’s meeting room, himself looking no worse for wear.   
“Master Yoda,” Mace Windu began, kicking off the conversation, “how goes the trip to Kamino?”   
“Very good,” continued Yoda, “a revelation, I have had. Realized how illogical, this war is.”   
“And how would you realize that, Master?” Ki-Adi Mundi posed in retaliation, not a hint of emotion in his voice, “surely we would’ve all realized it already.”

“Emotion, not the way of the Jedi, it is, correct?” 

“Of course, Master Yoda,” answered Master Stass Allie, “forming attachments is forbidden by the Jedi code. What’s your point here, if I could enquire?”   
“Time to reconsider that clause, I believe it is,” Yoda said, answering the latter portion of Master Allie’s question. Following his statement, a gasp could be heard from several members of the council, and shock was visible on Ki-Adi Mundi’s face.   
“You can’t be serious, master!” Mundi exclaimed, “it is not the Jedi way!”   
“Guided by a Sith, the CIS is,” Yoda countered, a smile visible in his holo-form, “perhaps embracing some of their traditions is the key to winning the war.”    
Through Yoda’s hologram, you could hear the two commanders chuckling, which seemed to irk Mundi even more.   
“If this is the way the Jedi will go, then I refuse to continue as a part of this council!” Mundi was beyond exasperated now. He stormed off to the elevator, his official resignation letter already being composed in his head.   
“Master Yoda,” Windu said, being the first one to break the tension so palpable you could visualise it, “are you serious?”   
“Quite serious I am, Master Windu.”

“Hmm…”   



	2. Slicer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoda & co. speak to Lama Su, and make the arrangements to stay on Kamino for a few days. Blackout cracks the Kaminoan security and does some detective work, and Yoda takes an interest in Blackout's files.

The _Nu_ -class transport landed on one of Kamino’s many rain-soaked landing pads, and its three passengers quickly disembarked and leisurely hustled inside Kamino’s white-walled Tipoca City. Lama Su was waiting in the closest thing the Kaminoans had to a foyer for them, sitting patiently with a glass of champagne.   
  
“Master Jedi,” Lama began, shortly after Yoda seated himself, with the two clones standing near the door, “what brings you to Kamino?”

“Decided to investigate Master Sifo-Dyas further, the council has,” Yoda replied, “his creation, the clones were.”

“How long do you think you will be staying, master Jedi?”  
“A few days.”

(Fade to black)

“Nice guest dormitories, the Kaminoans have,” Yoda said, rather out-of-the-blue.  
“Agreed, sir,” Thire echoed as the three weary travellers settled into their temporary lodgings.   
“Get set up at the terminal, you should, Blackout,” Yoda prompted, causing Blackout to give a casual salute and walk over to the holoterminal.   
“Why did you bring Blackout, general?” Thire asked, “he doesn’t seem like the type for diplomatic missions.”   
“Glad you asked, Commander,” replied Yoda, a mischievous grin forming on his face, “require a slicer, I do.”   
  
Blackout had his datapad synced with the terminal, and had made sure to equip it with his best encryption, AES-256¹⁰. He mused about what the general could possibly want with the best slicer in the clone army. Turns out he didn’t have to wait long to find out.   
  
“You want me to slice the Kaminoans secret files, sir?”   
“Yes, commander.”   
  
Cracking their cipher was surprisingly easy, all things considered. Something immediately caught his eye, a folder named **CONTINGENCIES**. Blackout couldn’t resist clicking, and what he found horrified him. The seppies could control his comrades? By the Force itself, this was going to make his collateral folders look like a squadron of V-19s compared to a Venator.

  
“Found something, have you, commander? Hmm?” Yoda questioned, a quizzical look on his face.   
“Umm… yes, general. This is terrifying.”   
“Show us, Blackout,” demanded Thire, “if something can scare you that bad, it’s gotta be scary.”   
  
Blackout transferred the files to, and opened his personal folder, being sure to hide his personal password ‘Christophsis’. Something that wasn’t concealable, however, was his folder named ‘Collateral’. Oh boy, this was going to take some explaining.   
  
“A folder named collateral, you have, why?” Yoda inquired, the quizzical look once again returning to his face.   
“Well, General,” Blackout began to reply, “when you’re the second-most secretive man in the GAR, it’s good to keep some of the cards in your hand.”   
Thire looked positively mortified, realizing just what might be in there. He hoped Yoda wouldn’t enquire further, but Thire’s second-worst fear was destined to come true.   
“Allow me to see this folder, can you?” Yoda asked, “a good secret keeper, I am.”   
Thire opened his mouth to begin to reply, but both Blackout and Yoda cut him off, making a shushing motion with their hands. Blackout had just allowed Yoda to view _his_ insurance folder. This wasn't going to end well, Thire knew.


	3. Journalist, Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blackout interviews a bunch of clone commanders about what keeps them fighting every day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you don't mind the time skips, they're just a manifestation of how I like to write. I decided to anglicize the Mando'a that I had written in, because it didn't fit great.

Yoda pulled three chairs up around the holoterminal, seemingly intent on exploring these in detail.  
“Form such attachments, why would a clone? Your insight, I seek,” Yoda kickstarted, asking the commanders to respond. Thire was about to ask for permission to speak freely, but something in the way Blackout adjusted his posture told him that he didn’t need to.   
“To be frank, sir,” Blackout regaled, “many of the commanders are becoming, hmm, _disillusioned_ , with the war. The whole idea of ‘fighting for the GAR’ doesn’t work for them anymore, and so, they find something else to fight for.”   
“Most interesting this is. Find out this, how did you?”   
“Umm… like this, sir,” Blackout answered, plugging his helmet into the holoproj and bringing up some video files from his helmet cam, “I’ve been documenting the command staff for some time in these little holovids.”   
  
Blackout began to play some of his holovids, along with pulling up any further evidence he had to support the video. The first one featured the most well-known of clone, ahem, _correlations_ to the GAR, being CC-5052 and his general.   
  
_“Bly, tell me, how does something like this happen?”_ _  
_ _“To be honest, and I’ve said this to General Secura before, she likes to lead from the front, and I get a good view, and something to keep the nightmares away.”_

 _“I can imagine the nightmares being vivid and everlasting, for someone in your position, eh?”_ _  
_ _“Indeed, Blackout.”_ _  
_ _  
_ “Most interesting, that is, please continue.”   
  
_“Bacara, Jet, how goes it?”_ _  
_ _“Is this that stupid shit Bly said you’re doing, trying to get a psych profile of all the commanders?”_ _  
_ _“Yes, Jet, it is. I want to know what makes you tick; what makes you want to keep fighting.”_ _  
_ _“I spend every waking moment focused on winning the war, so my vod in the marines don’t have to suffer under Mundi’s command for longer than necessary.”_ _  
_ _“Would you consider those treasonous thoughts, Bacara?”_ _  
_ _“No, I don’t. That man borders on_ **_Krell_ ** _levels of insensitivity towards troopers.”_ _  
_ _“Noted.”_

“A good thing, it is, then, that Master Mundi resigned from the council. Continue.”  
  
 _“CT-7567, it is, right?”_ _  
_ _“Yes, sir!”_ _  
_ _“Please, Blackout is fine, we met at Christophsis.”_ _  
_ _“Oh yeah…”_

 _“Regardless, Rex, I’m trying to learn what makes the commanders tick, and I thought you’d have some insight, even if you aren’t a commander, yet.”_ _  
_ _  
_ Yoda paused the recording.   
“A grave oversight that is. Promote Rex to commander, we must. Regardless, continue with the holovid, please.”   
Yoda looked positively enamoured with these recordings.   
  
_“I know what drives Fives is revenge for Lola Sayu and Rishi, I can say that much.”_ _  
_ _“And what of you, Captain?”_ _  
_ _“The nightmares keep me up at night, but the good dreams keep me getting up day after day.”_ _  
_ _“What kind of good dreams, Captain?”_ _  
_ _“You know the kind…”_ _  
_ _“Ah, yes, I see.”_

“Hmm. An interesting case, this Captain Rex. Know what kind of dreams he speaks of, Commander Thire?”  
“All will be revealed in time, knowing Blackout.”   
  
_“Marshal Commander of the 7th Sky Corps, huh. Congrats, by the way.”_ _  
_ _“Thanks Blackout, means a lot.”_ _  
_ _Cody clasped his hands and adjusted to a more comfortable position across from Blackout’s helmet cam._ _  
_ _“Cody, what drives you? What makes you wake up with fresh resolve every morning?”_ _  
_ _“My tracyn, Blackout, same as the general.”_ _  
_ _“I see the taste for House Kryze runs through the command staff?”_ _  
_ _Both commanders laughed somewhat nervously at the joke._

  
“Noticing that the Code of the Padawans, followed more than the Jedi Code, it is. Well-placed, my concerns were.”  
"The regs aren't followed terribly well either, General."  
"Indeed."


	4. Journalist, Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Picking up where the last chapter left off, our three intrepid heroes continue watching Blackout's interviews.

  
_ “Well, well, well, if it isn’t my little Fox’ika? How goes life on the home front?” _ _   
_ _ “Better than last time we talked, vod.” _ _   
_ _ “You’re not telling me something, but I won’t press. I only have one question, did you go the Bly route, or the General Skywalker route?” _ _   
_ _ Fox’s body language indicated he was mildly embarrassed at the question, leaving one to believe he felt sheepish. _ _   
_ _ “General Skywalker.” _ _   
_ _ “Let me guess, Sujimis Sector, rather short, a little rough around the edges?” _ _   
_ _ “How do you keep track of it, Blackout? I’ll never understand.” _

“The Pantoran senator, you speak of? End her career, this revelation could. Spread the news, I will not.”   
  


_ “Doom.” _ _   
_ _ “Blackout.” _ _   
_ _ “Why.” _ _   
_ _ “If I lose one, I lose both, therefore I must lose none.” _ _   
_ _ “Spoken quite eloquently.” _ _   
_ _   
_ “Speaking of Masters Tiplee and Tiplarr, I presume? Understandable, his concern is.”

_ “Was it because of the eye or the Malevolence?” _ _   
_ _ “Hello to you too, Blackout.” _ _   
_ _ “Hi, Wolffe. Nice to see you haven’t changed one bit.” _

_ “I seek not personal revenge for my eye, but to make sure something like Abregado never happens again.” _ _   
_ _ “Straight to the point. I like it.” _

“Hmph.”

_ “The man himself, one letter short of describing his own armour, how goes it Gree?” _ _   
_ _ “As tiresome as ever, I suppose.” _ _   
_ _ “Do you ever find your general’s lack of emotion troubling?” _ _   
_ _ “No, actually. I find it quite the opposite, I find it calming and it helps me focus on the battlefield.” _

_ “Speaking of, what keeps you going out on the battlefield every day?” _ _   
_ _ “Service to the Republic.” _ _   
_ _ “Bullshit.” _ _   
_ _ “How so?”  _ _   
_ _ “Previous examples would indicate you’re full of shit. Only shinies believe in service to the Republic.” _

_ “Fine. The real reason is that my interests, and the ones of my unit, overlap. I like to study alien species, and the 41st specializes in dealing with networking and planetbuilding, which necessitates know stuff like that.” _ _   
_ _ “That sounds more like the Gree I remember.” _ _   
_ _ “Please shut up, man.” _

“Work with Gree one day, I would like to, I believe.”   
“Regardless, sir, what was the point of watching those?”   
“Further expanding my knowledge base, I am. Speak to the council, I must. Keep guard, both of you.”   
“Yes, sir!” both clones spoke in unison, saluting and turning to follow orders.

Yoda made sure both the clones were in the vestibule before keying in the code to join the Jedi High Council meeting. The videos he’d seen, of clone commanders unfiltered, were the final piece to the puzzle, he realized. The sith lord they’d been looking for was Sifo-Dyas, and the clones were the way the sith were going to return, CONTINGENCIES notwithstanding. Before he was to deliver his words to the council, he noticed a few protocols that caught his mind, the first being protocol 13, which dictated to the clones that the chancellor was a traitor, and needed to be arrested. That might prove useful in the future. The second one that caught his eye was protocol 66, which dictated to the clones that the Jedi were to be shot and killed on sight for attempting to coup the chancellor. That one was oddly specific, almost as if the chancellor knew from the start, which, now that Yoda had all the pieces, made sense to him. Why hadn’t he noticed already?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the weird formatting with some of the paragraphs, by the way. I work in Google Docs, and copy-pasting it into rich text seems to mess things up.


	5. Tin Foil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoda hatches a devious plan to foil Sidious' schemes, including ensuring the loyalty of three people who's service to the Republic far outstrips their respective ranks.

“Please return, troopers,” Yoda hollered, “a plan I have.”   
Thire and Blackout stalked in, their confusion hidden by their helmets.   
“What is it, general?” Thire asked.

“Remove your helmets, your faces, I wish to see,” Yoda replied, “a devious plan, I have.”

Thire and Blackout removed their helmets, clipping them to their belts. They took their seats, and looked at the general, slightly mystified.

“Found the sith lord in the Senate, I have, but, need a plan to deal with them, I do,” Yoda initiated,    
“With all due respect sir, why do you need us for that?” Thire countered, “we’re just clones, we’re not equipped to deal with a sith.”   
“Equipped you are. Change the protocols we must, Blackout, delete protocol 66 and replace it with protocol 13, we must.”

“You want to manipulate the chancellor? Is he the sith?” Blackout asked, bewildered.

“Indeed he is, Commander. Set this in motion, you must.”   
“Sir…” Thire began, but he found he couldn’t finish, as his train of thought was cut off by one idea, and it was all that occupied his mind;

“ _ Good Soldiers Follow Orders.” _

(Fade to black)

“Master Yoda,” Windu offered, “you seem less tense than usual, has something changed?”

“Indeed, Master Windu,” Yoda returned, “reinforced, my perception of this war, has been.”

“Please elaborate, Master Yoda,” Plo Koon rattled back.

“Being manipulated by Sidious, we are. Controlling the war, Chancellor Palpatine is.” 

Yoda directed the council to look at the evidence he and Blackout had complied, each master’s force signature emanating worry or shock. 

“Believe this concerns Master Skywalker, I do.”   
“What makes you say that, Master Yoda?”

“Most powerful, young Skywalker is, suspect Sidious wishes to make Skywalker his apprentice, I do.”

Blackout knew they had to outsmart Palpatine, and the General’s plan wasn’t half bad. Plus, Rex deserved to be more than Skywalker’s third-in-command. He thanked Lama Su for his hospitality, citing having learned all they needed to as their reason for departure. As they returned to the  _ Nu _ -class shuttle, Blackout couldn’t help but feel confident. His future was secured from accidentally killing a Jedi, so that was a relief. He’d accidentally caused every single clone to wake up with a wicked headache that had quickly subsided. His favourite part of editing the files was slicing the droid army’s programming, and adding something called Droid Setting 42, which, when said by a clone, would cause a chain reaction to deactivate every droid unit in the seppie army.

“Grant Skywalker the rank of master, I suggest we do. Believe his attachments are beneficial, I do,” Yoda said.

“I agree with Master Yoda here, Senator Amidala keeps Anakin anchored to the light,” Obi-Wan echoed.

“Believe Tano and Rex, in need of a promotion, they both are,” Yoda continued, “recall them, we should.”

“Commander Blackout, call the 501st, you must.”

“Yes, general!”

_ “Master Yoda, it’s a pleasure,” Anakin engaged, directing the pleasantries. _

“Likewise, Skywalker,” Yoda replied, “being recalled to the temple, you are.”

_ “Of course, Master. I’ll be there shortly. Do you have any special instructions?” _   
“I do. Bring your padawan, and Captain Rex, please.”

_ “Will do,” Anakin finished. _

“Masters Windu, Yoda,” Anakin stated, bowing ever-so-slightly, “what compels you to bring me in front of the council?”

“Well,” Windu brought forth in response, not a hint of defensiveness in his voice, “after much deliberation, this council finds you worthy to be granted the rank of master.”

“Well then…” Anakin said as he stepped back, visibly flustered, then pausing for a second, “you know about it, don’t you?”

“Since Geonosis, Anakin,” Obi-Wan admitted, ending the conversation, and causing Anakin to sink back next to Rex, leaving Ahsoka front-and-centre. 

“Padawan Tano, this council finds you to have completed the trials of a Jedi Knight in the field. Congratulations, Knight Tano.”

“Thank you, Master Windu,” Ahsoka said, bowing and stepping back, allowing Rex the proverbial stage.

“Captain Rex,” Plo Koon addressed, causing the clone to snap to attention, “upon the authority of Masters Yoda, Windu, Koon, and Kenobi, you are hereby promoted to the rank of Marshal Commander.”

“Wish you the best of luck, I do, CC-7567,” Yoda added.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)
> 
> Next up, Blackout and Thire go drinking, and create the next step in the grand plan to foil Sidious.   
> For clarification, italics are used to convey basically anything contextually relevant, be it a holovid, a holocall, emphasis on a word, or anything else I see fit.


	6. Alcoholic Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thire and Blackout go for a post-mission drink at 79s, and Blackout leaks something about a certain commander.

“I’m glad 79s has a lot of alcohol, because I need all of it, “ Thire proclaimed, locking eyes with Blackout, sinking deeper into the bench of the booth. 

“Right there with you, Thire,” Blackout affirmed, “it’s a damn shame I didn’t get to explain any of the backstory of those holos to the general.”

Thire hesitated for a second, before deciding to pry just the smallest amount deeper.

“Say, I’m no general, but... “

“But what, Thire?”

“But I’d sure like to learn the backstory of those holovids, Blackout.”

An eerie silence took over the table, standing out from the background noise of 79s. Blackout shifted uncomfortably in his seat, grabbing a sip of his Mustafarian Burning Whiskey, while Thire recalled basic training, losing himself in thought as he stared into his cup of cola. Thire mused to himself; ‘No alcohol for me, right? Not for a commander of the Shock Troops, right? Not for a commander of the most boring unit in the galaxy.’

“Got something on your mind, Thire?” Blackout questioned, seeing the blankness on Thire’s face.

“How’d you find out about Fox’ika? He didn’t even tell me or Thorn.”

“If you’d allow me, I wish to regale you with a tale of an accident, just like the majority of happenings in my life.”

“By all means, Blackout, go wild.”

_ Blackout’s ever-present helmet cam clicked on, concealed between the Jaig Eyes painted on his helmet. It showed something Thire knew all too well, the Coruscant Guard’s barracks. The camera began towards a door Thire recognized, Fox’s. Blackout knocked on Fox’s door, calling out but a single sentence, “Fox’ika, Stone said you needed a drink, want to hit 79s?” _

_ When no response was met by anyone inside, the camera turned towards the control panel of Fox’s office, punching in a code Thire didn’t recognize, “8108.”  _

_ The door slid open, revealing what was, in fact, Fox’s office. Inside, the camera captured a scene foreign to Thire, one that explained Blackout’s prior knowledge in that interview. Fox’s desk was a mess, with the paperwork far less organized than typical, and a red-and-white set of boots was somewhere to be found inside there.  _

_ You could see the man behind the camera do a double take, scanning the room, and locking onto a man, leaning back in a chair behind a desk, clad in red armour, clearly enjoying himself, and completely focused on the task in front of him. Helmetless, Fox locked eyes with the Pantoran senator on top of him. The feed cut off, with its final capture being CC-1010 disobeying regulations for the first time in his career. _

A silence once again permeated over the booth shared by Thire and Blackout, as the former tried to process the helmetcam footage he had just watched. After what felt like an eternity, Thire finally spoke, “At least he was wearing all of his armour.” Both the commanders laughed at Thire’s joke, somewhat nervously.

“What if…” Thire began, “what if the regs get changed?”

“Don’t you see?” Blackout countered, “it’s all part of his plan.”

“Please elaborate,” Thire allowed, clasping his hands together, and leaning forward.

“The Jedi Code no longer forbids attachment, but the regs still do. The fact that clones aren’t allowed to form attachments, at least officially, serves to dehumanize them, and make them more like organic droids.”

“So, what you’re saying is, now that we’ve gotten the Jedi Code changed, the next step to winning this war on the home front is to get the regs changed?

“Goddamn right, Thire.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to fit some exposition in over the next few chapters, just for kicks. The story will probably slow down a bit, with long dialogue sequences. Eventually, though, I want to get to the scene of Order 66, which'll happen earlier in this universe.


	7. A Shared Interest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thire and Blackout walk back to the Coruscant Guard's barracks after their adventure at 79s. Blackout tells the story of Cody's off-the-books """mission""" to Concordia.

Thire and Blackout walked side by side away from 79s, raking in the stale Coruscanti air through their helmets’ rebreathers. The smell of alcohol and spice permeated the air, unwittingly fueling the thoughts of the two commanders. Thire opened a private voice chat between his and Blackout’s helmets, his thoughts beginning to form a sentence.

“How’d you learn what happened with Cody and Doom?”

“Hmm. Which story do you want to hear first?”

“ _ Kote _ ,” Thire answered, using Cody’s Mando name.

“Alright,” Blackout began to tell, “after Lola Sayu, Cody got his phase 2 armour, but wanted to make it a bit more Mando. He went to Mandalore, off the books, looking for Beskar, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Anyway, he found his beskar, but let’s just say he got, erm…  _ sidetracked _ on Concordia,” Blackout continued, amusement lacing his voice, “he took the opportunity to get  _ acquainted _ with the sister of Duchess Satine.”

“Wasn’t the duchess the one who had an interest in General Kenobi?” Thire asked, bewildered.

“I see you read Rex’s debrief on the Coronet situation.”

“Indeed I did.”

Both commanders laughed as they continued walking, drawing ever-closer to the Coruscant Guard’s barracks.

“What about Doom?” Thire asked.

“That man’s second to Bly in how open he is with his general.”

“True. I guess I never really thought about it like that.”

“Can’t say I blame you.”

The pair descended into silence, needing to walk one of the final two kilometres till the Guard barracks before one spoke, with Thire finally asking something:

“What’s the percentage of beskar in his armour?”

“Pure.”

“Wow. Rex’s?”

“Pure as well.”

“Yours?”

“Guess.”

“I’m starting to think I’m the odd man out here.”

  
Blackout smiled underneath his helmet, chuckling lightly. Thire grabbed a pebble and threw it at Blackout, hitting his armour with a satisfying  _ ping _ . Both commanders turned into the barracks of the Guard, making their way towards Thire’s office. When they stepped inside, allowed by Thire’s access code of, “4774,” they were greeted by an empty office, save for a set of white and red beskar laid out on his desk, binos attached to the helmet, and the royal seal of Toydaria painted small and bold on the right cheek.

Blackout smiled under his helmet;

“You really were the odd man out, by the way.”

(Fade to black)

“My lord,” Count Dooku began, kneeling in front of the hologram of his master, Darth Sidious, “a civil war has erupted on Mandalore, and I would like to pre-empt the Republic into intervening.”

“Very well,” Sidious drawled back, “this will be the final step in my plan.”

“It will be done, my lord.”

“Vos, it is good to see your face,” Windu offered in greeting.

“Likewise, Master Windu,” Quinlan Vos shot back, “Ventress has told me of her grandmaster’s plan to pre-empt the Mandalorian Civil War.”

“Master Kenobi and his commander have good relations with the mandalorians, perhaps we should send them and the 212th as a show of good faith.”

“I agree, Master Plo. It will be done at once.”

“Wait!” Windu exclaimed, “Kenobi, I’m going with you.”   
“Alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exposition :D
> 
> The beskar will be a convenient plot device in the future, I swear. Next up is an expedited Siege of Mandalore, and later... Order 66!


	8. Setting the Stage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The main characters we'll be seeing in the Battle of Mandalore are introduced. The Republic marshals the best of its fleet, a brand new Battleship called the Pride of the Core.

The  _ Venator _ -class carrier/destroyers  _ Negotiator II _ ,  _ Resolute II _ ,  _ Politician’s Folly _ ,  _ Palpatine’s Regards _ , and a brand new  _ Republica _ -class battleship,  _ The Pride of the Core _ , along with several smaller ships, cruised through hyperspace in perfect formation. In the end, it had been decided to send three Jedi to Mandalore: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, and the freshly knighted Ahsoka Tano. The three Jedi showed up as holoprojections in each others’ briefing rooms, Tano on the  _ Resolute II _ , Windu on  _ The Pride of the Core _ , and Kenobi on the  _ Negotiator II _ , each flanked by their respective clone commanders.

With everyone on the call being able to see each other’s facial expressions, Windu scanned the faces of each clone individually, he noticed Commander Cody shifted nervously at the mention of Lady Bo-Katan of House Kryze. It was probably nothing, but it was worth making a note of, regardless. Kenobi was delivering a briefing on the traditions of Mandalore, and about how no non-Mando was to engage Maul, as he was wielding the darksaber. This gave Windu food for thought, as it raised the question on whether clones qualified as Mando.

Sidious paced in his office, unsure of his next course. He could initiate the purge right now, and wipe out a vast majority of the Jedi, but Vader’s fall hadn’t been completed yet, so there was always the risk of his plan falling apart. He decided to wait, because he wanted to see how Mandalore ended. If it ended in a CIS victory, he’d have some ammunition to level against Amidala, and the Jedi. If it ended in a Republic victory, he’d be able to claim victory, and the end of the war, which would be the perfect opportunity to execute order 66.

The CIS’ biggest flotilla to date arrived in orbit. General Grievous knew that this would most likely be the final battle of the war, as both sides had mobilized the strongest ships they had. He paced the bridge of  _ The Invisible Hand _ , tuning out the clatter of the battle droids. He knew the Republic wanted to make landfall to aid the Mandalorian resistance to the now-CIS-backed occupation. He just needed to stall them…

Oddball couldn’t help but notice how uncomfortable the other three commanders were. They all knew what their jobs were, but they all seemed overly concerned, especially Cody. Oddball was to command the fighter wings, which were to punch a hole in the seppie blockade for the LAATs to make headway. Neyo was to lead a detachment of the 91st Mobile Reconnaissance Corps from the south end of the Mandalorian Capital to flank the droids and pincer the droids’ defences. Cody was to be leading the main assault from the north, with Republic gunships escorted by Oddball’s 170s and 95s landing in the Peace Park to establish a beachhead. This was going to work. It had to.

From their hideout in the lower levels of Sundari, the Nite Owls could see the Separatist fleet arriving in orbit. This was going to be the end of Mandalore, and they knew it. This was going to be one hell of a battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Cody/Bo-Katan thing will be relevant in a couple chapters, just trust me. :D
> 
> The Pride of the Core is a fanon ship, and I'm mostly now just gonna make my own classifications for the ships. The Venator is a Carrier, the Acclamator is a troop transport, the Pride of the Core is a battleship, and the Victory is a battlecruiser. If you want an better idea of why these classifications matter, just google something about US navy ship classifications.


	9. Shift Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thire complains about his boring job, Blackout works on changing the regulations, Yoda bails them out.

Thire was slouching in his chair, with his feet up on his desk, his swivel chair angled oddly due to his weird posture. Blackout sat across from him, swivelling his chair between a datapad with the planned revisions to the GAR regulations, and one with the current GAR regulations. 

“It’d do us some good if you stopped sulking and started writing revisions, you know,” Blackout commented icily, glaring at Thire.

“Why does it have to be us who do this?” Thire complained, “I mean, Cody and Rex are off saving the galaxy  _ again, _ …”

“We-,” Blackout tried to interject, to no avail.

“...the general is in a council meeting, Fox is probably off railing his girlfriend, Colt, Blitz, and Havoc are training shinies who won’t even get to see a minute of combat, and…”

“That’s enough!” Blackout finally managed, “it doesn’t do us any good for you to whine about how hard your life is. You’re part of the Coruscant fucking Guard, you’ve got it easy.”

“Fine, I guess,” Thire whined, “what do you need me to do?”

“Read me regulation 318(a).”

“‘Interacting with non-GAR Personnel: Fraternization with non-GAR Personnel; A clone is not to interact with, claim friendship with, make romantic advances on, have sexual intercourse with, take vows with, or take the surname of a non-GAR person, regardless of intent, consent, or circumstances, unless specifically ordered to by an officer holding the rank of Admiral, General, or High General. Punishment is to be considered by the person in command of violator(s)’s unit(s)’s, and executed by said unit(s).’”

“Wow,” Blackout remarked, “we need to make that a lot less strict.”

“Agreed.”

Blackout mimicked Thire’s position, leaning back in his chair and running a hand through his silver-streaked hair. 

(Fade to black)

Yoda strolled leisurely into Thire’s office, noticing the two CC clones passed out in their chairs. He slammed his walking stick into the ground, causing the two sleeping men to wake with a start. He continued his stroll into Thire’s office unimpeded, a smirk creeping onto his face.

“Finished changing the regulations, have you?”

Thire looked positively flustered as he gathered the words to respond, with Blackout looking equally so.

“Yes, general,” they both managed out simultaneously, their body language conveying something akin to mild embarrassment.

“Changed, what have you?”

“Umm…” Thire started, 

“We changed rules 318(a), 472(c), 617(b), and 22(a), sir,” Blackout finished.

“Contain, what do those regulations?”

“318(a) is the one about fraternization with civilians, 472(c) is the one about desertion and discharges, 617(b) is the one about pay grades, and 22(a) is the one about clones’ state of being, sir.”

“Further explain later, you can. In the meanwhile, a mission we have. Determined, we have, that the number of ships sent to Mandalore was not enough.”

Blackout turned to Thire, a smile on his face:

“And to think an hour ago, you were complaining about not getting any action!”

“No need to hold it over my head, Blackout. Let’s go.”

The two clones stood up, dusting off their armour. Yoda beckoned them to leave, and along they went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yoda's gonna get to take the Victory-class battlecruiser for a spin. :)
> 
> I'm still not sure whether to have another Yoda scene next, or start Mandalore, but I guess we'll see.


	10. As Calm as Can Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Siege of Mandalore starts, and we check in with all our major participants.

The sound of Z-95s turning on filled the hangar as the four commanders mentally steeled themselves for the coming battle. Oddball couldn’t help but take note of just how much this battle mattered based on the sheer number of  _ jetii  _ committed to it. General Tano was to lead the space battle, and Kenobi and Windu were to lead the troops on the ground; Kenobi had to secure the throne room and the Duchess, Windu was to clean up the city in what was sure to be some stressful urban warfare.

“Let’s rock and roll boys,” came Oddball through the squadron’s comms, earning a laugh from Jag.

“I’d expect nothing less, commander,” General Tano shot back, smiling from her fighter, causing another round of chuckles from Gold Squadron. “We’re set to go in two and a half, you ready?”

Windu interrupted over the comms: “You’d better be, Tano, we’re getting some heavy flak from the droids. Master Yoda has informed me he’s enroute with reinforcements, but we’re on our own for at least an hour.”

“I understand master. I’ll make sure you and the boys get to the surface in tip-top shape.”

With the formalities out of the way, the gunships, Z-95s, and ARC-170s began to file out of the recently opened hangar doors, still a few hundred klicks out from the worst of the flak. Oddball took the lead, flanked by Hawk and Broadside. The three clones formed the spearhead of the would-be blockade runners, with Jag maintaining the rear. The gunships in tow were destined to slip through and establish control of Sundari, in order to create an area for the Acclamators to land. 

“Alright, boys, we’ll be going in hot. Don’t hesitate to kill on sight, and watch those wrist rockets,” Cody barked out, gesturing at a holomap of the LZ. The area they’d chosen was relatively in the open, but had some natural cover, due to the droids being restricted to inside the bubble of Sundari. With any luck, they’d be down on the ground in five, but complications always seemed to arise when Kenobi was stuck in a gunship.

“Keep the fighters engaged, the gunships will be easy pickings for our proton cannons,” Grievous ordered between coughing fits, making wild gestures with his hands.

“Yes, General Grievous,” ST-67-0009 replied, moving to direct the B-1 battle droids who served as the hands firing the blaster of the CIS navy.

Oddball’s rear gunner, Shatterglass, was having a fun time picking off Vulture Droids. He kept gleefully expressing himself in the ARC’s internal comms, earning ire from both Oddball and Sixty-Four. 

“We seem to be through the worst of it, sir,” Oddball informed General Windu, “we should begin the landing sequence.”

“Good to hear, Commander,” Windu calmly replied, “I’ll make sure the pilot knows.” Jedi High General Mace Windu turned away from the holoproj in the middle of the gunship, looking towards the pilot. “Pilot, begin the landing sequence!” he hollered, needing to be loud so as not to be drowned out by the gunship’s engine.

“Copy that general,” came the pilot’s reply, “have fun down there!”

“I can’t make any promises,” Windu sarcastically shot back as he steeled himself for the upcoming battle.

Oddball fired his ARC-170’s laser cannons on the proton cannons protecting the front gates of Sundari. Two out of the seven gunships had broken off, carrying Neyo’s feint force to the south end of Sundari. Cody’s gunship was the first one on the ground, a mess of 212th and 501st troopers spilling out. Neyo tensed on his speeder, aware of how eerily quiet it would be for a few minutes while they raced to help take Sundari.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate having to do so much build-up, but I guess it's necessary. Next chapter we get the start of the space battle.
> 
> Also I straight up lifted that "have fun down there" line from the episode "Landing at Point Rain" but since that's my favourite CW episode I don't mind.


	11. Codes, Code, Cody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bo-Katan and Ahsoka talk over the game plan for attacking Maul, and we get some more worldbuilding.

“C’mon, let’s move!” Cody yelled, gesturing for his men to keep moving forward, “we’re only a klick out from the throne room!”

The 212th advanced on Maul’s position, General Kenobi in the lead. Each trooper had cut down at least three droids apiece at this point, and the end seemed close at hand. The only issue was now how to defeat Maul, and wrestle control of Mandalore from him.

In the meantime, a single Kom’rk fighter raced out of the underworld of Sundari, making for the Venator with the red bridge. It wasn’t that Bo-Katan knew that would be the safest, she just had a feeling Tano was on there, hopefully not with that dreaded senator in tow. As the fighter drew closer, the clone hangar personnel hailed it:

“Unidentified fighter, identify yourself. Provide a republic landing code or turn back.”

“Of course. 3X2E6.”

“Welcome back, Commander Cody.”

Rex mused in the hangar; Why would Cody be on a mando fighter? Sure, Cody had been to Concordia that one time for the beskar, but as far as Rex knew, he’d never maintained any kind of connection to that place. Regardless, the fighter was coming in to land, so he’d get his answers either way.

“You’re not Commander Cody, are you,” Rex snappily started, crossing his arms.

“Thanks, Captain Obvious.”

“Actually, it’s commander now. Made it a week ago.”

“Congratulations.”

“Regardless, if you came looking for Cody, he’s down on planet.”

“I was actually looking for Tano, I know where  _ Kote  _ is.”

“She’s up on the bridge. You planning on helping us retake Mandalore?”

“There’s only two reasons I’d be here, Rex.”

“Well then, welcome to the Republic, Lady Kryze.”

Bo-Katan scoffed at Rex, “keep in mind it’s not by choice.”

“Yeah right,” Rex scoffed right back, “you and I both know your ulterior motive.”

(Fade to black)

Ahsoka was looking over a holomap of the land battle when the briefing room door opened, revealing Rex, flanked by a couple of Mandalorians. The three armoured individuals stepped in the briefing room, removing their helmets.

“Bo-Katan, long time no see,” Ahsoka initiated, standing to her full height and crossing her arms.

“Likewise,” Bo-Katan replied, “where’s loverboy?”

“You mean Bonteri? Onderon.”

“You left him there? Shameful.”

That got a laugh out of all four people in the briefing room, lightening the mood significantly. 

“What brings you aboard, Lady Kryze?” Ahsoka asked, puzzlement lacing her face.

“Figured I should check in before we help you track down Maul,” Bo-Katan calmly replied.

“Very well,” Ahsoka acknowledged, “link up with Kenobi outside of Sundari, he’s the one in charge of pushing the throne room.”

“Understood. Thank you for your time, Ahsoka.”

“Anytime.”

The two Mandalorians bowed ever-so-slightly and turned to leave the briefing room, exiting with intent to return to their Kom’rk fighter.

Blackout’s hologram crackled to life on the holotable, his arms crossed and helmet on.

“So you’re finally starting the land invasion, I see.”

“How did you-” Ahsoka started, before being cut off by Blackout:

“Oh please.”

“Fair…” Ahsoka relented before continuing, “why are you calling, though?”

“The general says we’re an hour out from our rendezvous. You’re clear to engage the seppie fleet at your own discretion, but make sure there’s still some ships for us to reinforce.”

“I understand, Commander. Tell Yoda I said hi.”

“Yes, sir!” Blackout replied, saluting and ending the holocall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cody gave Bo-Katan his landing codes :D


	12. Old Enemies, New Allies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The clones storm the Mandalorian throne room, and Obi-Wan ends up fighting Grievous AGAIN.

An explosion rocked  _ The Invisible Hand _ , sending Grievous falling into a droid manning one of the bridge’s many consoles.

“Status report!” Grievous yelled, anger increasing as his ship rocked with more hits.

“Sir,” the battle droid quartermaster reported, “front deflectors holding at 63%. The Republic fighters have disabled our hyperdrive and main engine systems.”

“Bah!” he whined, punching the droid off to his left, “how are we losing so badly?”

“The Republic ship in the centre is of a class we’ve never seen before, sir,” the droid answered, “it’s forward cannons are more powerful than any we can answer with.”

Grievous stormed off the bridge, intending to go down on planet and deal with that insolent traitor Maul, and finally add Kenobi’s lightsaber to his ever-growing collection.

Cody stalked up the regal avenue leading to the throne room, flanked by a squad of clones. At the sound of laserfire, he looked up and saw two fighters locked in combat. He first recognized  _ cyar’entye _ ’s fighter, seeing it fight with what looked to be General Grievous’ fighter. ‘That’s a new combo,’ he mused to himself, allowing a smile to creep on to his face. 

Obi-Wan and Cody linked up just short of the Mandalorian throne room, creeping up and hearing Maul yell. The door opened, and revealed Maul and Grievous in an intense duel, Maul with his red double-bladed saber and the darksaber, and Grievous with his four. Maul seemed to be tiring, and he finally lost, a blue saber piercing his heart.

  
“A fine addition to my collection,” Grievous mused out loud, reaching to pick up Maul’s two sabers. He then turned to the doors of the throne room, which were now open.

“Hello there,” Obi-Wan quipped.

“General Kenobi,” Grievous snarked back, turning to face the platoon of 212th troopers flooding the throne room.

If almost on cue, a squad of commando droids hopped through the shattered windows of the throne room. 

“A classic standoff,” one of the clones remarked, “cute.”

The clones opened fire on the droids, and Obi-Wan began to engage Grievous in a duel. Within a matter of seconds, the commando droids had cut down three clones, and had lost two of the five droids. Cody finished the squad leader with two shots to the head, and turned to face the remaining droids.

Cody had been knocked back into one of the pillars by a droid, but some troopers had finished off the last of them, and their attention was being drawn to the general. Grievous was down to only Maul’s double-bladed saber, and his newly earned darksaber. He jumped over Kenobi, grabbing him and throwing him into one of the pillars around the room. 

‘I must’ve blacked out,’ Obi-Wan thought to himself, opening his eyes to take in the desecrated throne room. He spotted most of the platoon in similar situations to him, some being clearly dead from various causes. 

“Where’s my lightsaber?” he half-exclaimed, panicking slightly.

“Cody’s got it, sir,” one of the clones answered, pointing to the centre of the throne room.

The first takeaway was how unwieldy the general’s lightsaber was. Nevertheless, Cody could still make it work. He’d managed to cut off Grievous’ darksaber hand, and he made note of the fact that Grievous was technically the Manda’lor, and besting him here would make Cody the next Manda’lor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took me awhile to figure out how to progress this fic.
> 
> I have everything roadmapped, I just haven't put the words on the page yet.
> 
> Grievous as the Manda'lor was an idea that occurred to me in the shower, like most things I think of in terms of fanfiction.
> 
> btw "cyar'entye" is a corruption of Mando'a meant to mean "love debt"


	13. The Clone and the General

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battle of Mandalore ends, and we check in with all our characters.

“Yield.”

“Never, clone!”

“Then you will die foolish, like your war effort.”

With one slice, General Grievous was no more, and Commander Cody of the 7th Sky Corps had taken the title of Manda’lor from him. 

Meanwhile, the space battle was going well for Ahsoka, with _The_ _Pride of the Core_ proving itself more than adequate to solo an entire armada. Suddenly, a clone officer down in the pit yelled: “We have friendly ships coming out of hyperspace!”

Appearing in front of the  _ Resolute  _ was several of a new type of star destroyer that Ahsoka hadn’t seen. On cue, Yoda’s hologram crackled to life on the bridge holotable, flanked by Blackout and Thire standing at parade rest.

“Miss the fun, we were not planning on,” Yoda remarked, smiling.

“What are those new ships called, master?” Ahsoka asked, cocking her head in an inquisitive way, “they look like the fun you were missing out on.”

“New  _ Victory _ -class star destroyers, they are,” Yoda answered, “close to victory, we are, indeed.”

“Agreed,” Ahsoka finalized.

Suddenly, the hologram forms of Cody, Mace Windu, and Obi-Wan appeared next to Yoda on Ahsoka’s holotable. The first thing she noticed is that Cody’s helmet was missing, and that his armour had turned a steely grey in some spots.

“Cody,” she began, “plastoid is white, right?”

“Indeed it is, general,” came Cody’s reply, “I’m not wearing plastoid.”

“Blackout, Thire,” Yoda asked, interrupting, turning to face his clone escort, “wearing plastoid, are you?”

“No, sir,” they both replied, “it’s beskar.”

“So that’s how you fought Grievous, and lived,” Obi-Wan remarked, looking at Cody with surprise.

“Yeah,” Cody calmly replied, “fucker tired himself out hitting the beskar over and over. Said something about how he’ll kill me and add General Kenobi’s lightsaber to his collection, before he tried to slice me in half, and couldn’t.”

“Interesting, that is,” Yoda observed, “regardless, won, is the battle?”

“We’re almost done cleaning up here, but Oddball tells me that they’ve secured total aerial superiority,” Mace Windu offered, “what of the space battle, Knight Tano?”

“ _ The Pride of the Core _ has performed excellently. We’ve defeated the final Separatist armada, and believe that only remnants remain. I suggest we inform the chancellor, as the Separatists will likely try to sue for peace.”

“A good idea, that is. Call him, we shall,” Yoda affirmed, appearing to punch in the code for the chancellor’s office.

(Fade to black)

“Ah, generals, it is good to see your faces,” the old man remarked, “how goes the Battle of Mandalore?”

“Very good,” Ahsoka answered, “we have defeated the last of the Separatist navy, and General Grievous has been killed.”

“Very good job generals!” Palpatine congratulated, “should I expect the CIS to sue for peace?”

“Indeed,” Mace Windu confirmed, “we expect them to return to the Republic.”

“Excellent,” Palpatine further celebrated, “I shall make the necessary arrangements.”

Palpatine ended the holocall and paced in his office. He knew what he had to do, and the timing was perfect. This wasn’t his original plan, but with Dooku still alive, he could rule the galaxy and fulfill Bane’s rule of two. However, the preparations would need to take precedence. Allow the Jedi and the clones to get comfortable, perhaps even intimate, and then strike a devastating blow.

With General Grievous dead, ST-67-0009 was the highest in command of the CIS droid army. He was a super tactical droid, this was what he was programmed for. He knew what was going on, and intended to fight until his power ran out.

The war was coming to a close; Cody’d helped defeat the last major seppie armada, so why did everything feel so off? He had his  _ cyar’entye _ , he was the rightful ruler of Mandalore, and he hadn’t been court-martialed yet. Why did it feel like something big was about to happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this in a bit of a trance lmao
> 
> The end of the Mandalore arc, but the start of the Order 66/Clone rights arc :D


	14. The Storm Begets Calm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Order 66.

The pristinely waxed floors of the  _ Rugosa  _ unnerved Blackout, who was taking a stroll with Thire. The hallways of Yoda’s new  _ Victory _ -class flagship were unnecessarily authoritarian, and radiated an imperial vibe.

“You think the roles are reversed, now?” Thire asked Blackout, both men continuing to stare ahead down the hallway.

“What do you mean?” Blackout countered.

“Cody and Fox,” Thire replied, “three days ago Cody was fighting General fucking Grievous, and Fox was probably cuddled up nice and close to his favourite senator from Pantora.”

“And now?” Blackout prompted.

“I bet Fox is having a fucking field day dealing with all the paperwork on Coruscant,” Thire started, “and Cody’s probably making out with his orange haired companion.”

Blackout laughed at the description of Bo-Katan. “Nice job not being gross with your descriptions.”

“You learn not to speak like a senator’s blackmail tape when you spend a lot of time around senators,” Thire quipped, smiling.

“Regardless,” Blackout continued, “what’s our plan for dealing with the Senate?”

“You mean about the regulation change we leaked to them?” Thire pressed, “it’ll be easy.”

“It’ll be easy explaining to the Senate that a couple of GAR commanders had made their slave soldiers who they treated as subhuman into living breathing humans who have rights?” Blackout asked, incredulous. 

“Obviously,” Thire scoffed, “we have Senator Amidala’s delegation of 2,000, as well as Senator Chuchi and her clique.”

“Now that you point it out,” Blackout admitted, “it seems slightly less of a daunting task.”

Cody couldn’t sleep that night. Bo-Katan had gotten him to stop rolling, but he still couldn’t sleep. He glanced at his chrono:  _ 0200 _ . ‘Great,’ he thought, ‘if only I didn’t have to wake up at 0730 for the senate meeting.’ Being Manda’lor had its perks, but dealing with the senate wasn’t one of them.

Cody’s holocomm started beeping. He was the first to receive the call. A man clad in a black cloak awaited his answer, only his chin and hands visible to whomever saw him. Cody picked up, being careful not to wake  _ cyar’entye _ .

“Commander Cody,” the hooded figure began, “the time has come. Execute Order 66.”

In an instant, the programming took over. Bo-Katan rolled over to see him dressing in his blacks.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Mission,” he answered, “the chancellor is a traitor.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Blackout was in his quarters when the call came. He had been talking to Bly and showing him the helmetcam footage from the time Blackout had been assigned to take over command of the  _ Liberty II _ , and how he’d found the general sputtering in the ‘fresher, Bly’s signature yellow paint on her face. His holocomm began beeping after he ended his call with Bly, the frequency of the beeps signifying it was a call from High Command.

“Execute order 66.”

“Of course, my lord.”

Blackout had known this was going to happen, and so he’d taken a precaution. Camouflaged inside his crazily coloured hair was the scar from when he’d taken out his inhibitor chip. Of his own free will, he punched in the comm code for whoever the seppie droid commander was.

“Droid.”

“Yes, clone?”

“Initiate protocol 42.”

“Of course, my lord.”

A new set of programming activated, ST-67-0009 punched in a code they knew but couldn’t recite, broadcasting on a frequency that all battle droids would pick up. In an instant, every piece of separatist equipment shut down, and the galaxy stood perfectly quiet for but a moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing trance at 2am means no beta we die like clones
> 
> Also first official acknowledgement of people sleeping together lol
> 
> more funny references that are totally unnecessary
> 
> next chapter we get the death of one sheev palpatine :D


	15. Confrontations Told in the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cody tells the other commanders what to do, and we check in with them on their missions. The duel in Palpatine's office starts, as well.

The five commanders stood in a circle on the bridge of the  _ Rugosa _ , leaning into an intense discussion.

“Blackout,” Cody ordered, “I want you to talk to the Senate about this.”

“Alright,” Blackout accepted, “I’ll get on it.” Blackout turned to leave, heading for the  _ Kamino _ . 

“Thire,” Cody next ordered, “I want you to organize the Guard in sniper positions overlooking Sidious’ office. The Jedi will be enough of a distraction. If worst comes to worst, you need to be prepared to put a bolt into the chancellor.”

“Will do,” Thire replied, turning away to follow orders.

“Oddball,” Cody ordered third, “I need you to organize the fleet. Make sure no ships get in and out of the Senate District.”

“Alright,” Oddball replied, “I’ll see to it personally.”

Finally, Cody addressed Rex: “I need you to tell the Jedi what’s going on, inform them of everything.”

“Alright,” Rex affirmed, “but what are you going to do?”

Cody palmed the darksaber in his hand, considering his options.

“I will deal with the traitor myself.”

  
  


Blackout stood in a senate pod. This floor was chaos, and that was the only word to describe it. He hadn’t even told them why he was there; the mere sight of a clone sent the Senate into disarray. 

Rex stood in front of the Jedi Council for the second time in a month. He could tell all these generals were poking through his mind for discrepancies in his explanation, but he didn’t mind. All he knew was that by the order of the office of the Supreme Chancellor, they were to arrest the Supreme Chancellor for treason against the Republic.

Thire’s men were in the highrises surrounding the senate building. He’d managed to commandeer a couple floors of the four towers due to him being one of the highest-ranking clones in the whole army. Fox had run off to find his pink-haired sweetie and Stone was organizing the civilians down in the lobby, which left Thire up top, with a sniper rifle and orders to kill.

So far, no one had tried to enter the senate district, to Oddball’s surprise. A couple of speeders had been turned back by a squadron of Z-95s, but nothing major had happened. It was a welcome break from the chaos of fighting vultures on Mandalore, at least.

Cody stood outside the elevator to the Jedi High Council Spire, seeing Rex, Yoda, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker come out of it, joining him in the quest to arrest the newest traitor to the Republic. Darksaber in hand, but not ignited, Cody led the way out of the temple and towards the end of the war.

Sidious stood in his office. Why didn’t he feel the pain, suffering, and anguish of the Jedi? What had gone wrong since he gave the order to the clones? He could feel the force signatures of multiple Jedi coming. This was going to be difficult, but he was going to come out on top. He still had the armies of the CIS to back him, right?

The doors to Sidious’ office opened, letting in two clones and four Jedi Masters.

“What is the meaning of this?” Sidious turned to ask the group of people.

“In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic,” Mace Windu commanded, “you are under arrest.”

“It’s treason, then,” Sidious replied.

“The Senate will decide your fate,” Windu countered.

“I AM the Senate,” Sidious shot back, igniting his two red lightsabers. In return, five more sabers crackled to life, two blue, one green, one purple, and one the deep black of the Mandalorian darksaber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to write in the "it's treason then" scene :P
> 
> We're almost done, this should maybe only be a few more chapters, but I don't really know. We'll see.
> 
> See you soon :D


	16. Facing the Facts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Senate learns of what's going on, and debate begins.

Sidious was losing, that much was clear. He’d knocked out Rex early by force-pushing him into a wall, but the four Jedi were proving more than he could handle. Cody watched and bided his time to strike. He knew he wasn’t going to defeat a Sith lord in one-on-one combat, but he could strike when Palpatine was bested.

In the Senate, a live holovid feed played Cody’s helmet cam footage:

_ “What is the meaning of this?” Palpatine swiveled to meet the intruders into his office. _

_ “In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic,” Mace Windu commanded, “you are under arrest.” _

A collective gasp overtook the Senate as the holovid kept streaming.

_ “It’s treason, then,” Palpatine replied. _

_ “The Senate will decide your fate,” Windu countered. _

_ “I AM the Senate,” Palpatine shot back, igniting his two red lightsabers. In return, five more sabers crackled to life, two blue, one green, one purple, and one the deep black of the Mandalorian darksaber. _

_ Palpatine forced Commander Rex back into a wall with a bout of Force Lightning. Not enough to kill, but it was enough to neutralize some pain receptors, most likely. _

_ Yoda opened into the first kata of Ataru, Obi-Wan in Soresu, Mace in Vaapad, Anakin in Djem So, and Cody in some weird mixture of Makashi and Soresu.  _

“Why is CC-2224 there?” the Kaminoan senator called out, causing the Senate to go into uproar again.

“Why are there two clones fighting ze chancellor?” Orn Free Taa demanded, “and why does one have a black lazer sword?”

Blackout calmly cleared his throat, the acoustics of the Senate Rotunda amplifying his voice. “Marshal Commander Cody is the Manda’lor, the rightful wielder of the darksaber.”

“And how did he obtain this right?” Lott Dodd of the Trade Federation sneered, “he is a mere clone.”

The Mandalorian envoy to the Senate cut in: “He earned it in combat against the CIS General Grievous, who had also earned it from Darth Maul mere minutes before.”

“And where is the proof of this?” the Kaminoan senator cut back in, making a questioning gesture with her hands.

Blackout pulled up a holovid from a 212th trooper’s helmet cam, recording the battle in full high definition.

_ Grievous coughed violently, drawing two lightsabers from his belt. Cody strolled up to him, holding General Kenobi’s lightsaber in his right hand, blaster on his belt. _

_ Grievous pressed his attack, overwhelming the clone with sheer brutality. Cody fell on his ass, sliding back a metre or so. Grievous stalked forwards and went for the killing blow. His green lightsaber came up, and met Cody’s vambrace covering his face. _

_ Grievous faltered for a second, confused as to how his lightsaber was unable to penetrate this clone’s armour. This gave Cody all the time he needed, springing to his feet and cutting off the general’s arms and kicking him to the ground. _

_ “Yield,” Cody demanded, pointing the saber point at Grievous. _

_ “Never, clone!” Grievous spat back. _

_ “Then you will die foolish, like your war effort,” Cody finished, cutting off the cyborg’s head in one clean motion. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being gone for so long lmao 
> 
> Also be wary, the next few chapters will have a lot of politics and the Senate.


End file.
